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Hong Kong Accreditation Service

Inside this issue of HKAS News,we will be talking about

World Accreditation Mark

ILAC News

International Accreditation Forum13th Plenary Meeting

HKCAS Update

Globalization of SGS to Meet theChallenge of Coming Millennium -by SGS International CertificationServices

First International Accreditation byHKCAS - by Lloyd's Register QualityAssurance Ltd.

Accreditation for Non-destructiveTesting

Launching of HKIAS

Laboratory Accreditations Granted

Laboratory AccreditationsTerminated

Arrivals and Departures

Proficiency Testing Update

Inspection Body Assessor TrainingCourse

Useful Websites

Upcoming Training Course

The concept of "one test, one accreditation, accepted the

world over" moves one step closer to being realised as

the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation

(ILAC) works towards the establishment of a multilateral

mutual recognition arrangement (MRA). Over the last

few years ILAC and regional accreditation co-operations

such as APLAC, EA have worked hard to harmonize the

standard of operation of accreditation bodies and accredited

laboratories and to set procedures for evaluation of

competence. The success of the ILAC MRA will depend

on how well the technical competence of accreditation

bodies and accredited laboratories under the umbrella

of the MRA can be assured. It will also depend on how

well the MRA can be promoted, recognised and accepted.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of the MRA, it has

been proposed that an ILAC accreditation mark by which

MRA signatories and accredited organizations under the

umbrella of the ILAC MRA may identify themselves as

belonging to a group of competent and ISO standard -

compliant organizations be created.

it is to be used on test certificates e.g. an accompanying

statement to indicate that accreditation is for specific tests

as set out in the accreditation body's Directory, disclaimers,

conditions under which non-accredited tests may appear,

etc.

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An accreditation mark on a test report signifies that the

laboratory issuing the report has been assessed and found

to be competent by a third party. It therefore promotes

confidence that the test results on the report is reliable.

An accreditation mark of a laboratory accreditation scheme

is generally the logo of an accreditation body accompanied

by the laboratory's accreditation number. More rarely,

an accreditation body may have a corporate logo which

is separate from the accreditation mark.

An accreditation mark is normally owned by the

accreditation body and accreditation confers the right to

use the mark on test certificates, company letterheads

and advertisements provided certain rules are followed.

These rules stipulate the manner in which the mark is to

be used e.g. size, colour, position and other conditions if ILAC Accreditation Mark

The answer is general ly no. Currently, mutual

recognition agreement (MRA) between laborator y

accreditation bodies means that one par ty recognizes

the equivalence of the other par ty's accreditation.

Although an MRA is intended to provide confidence,

reduce mult iple accreditat ions and test ing, and

signator ies under take to promote each other's

accreditations, it does not go as far as allowing an

agreement par tner's accredited laboratories to use

the other par ty's accreditation mark. There are many

difficulties and implications in transferring the right to

use a mark to another body.

International Co-operations on Accreditation

International Co-operations on Accreditation

Regional

Economy

ILAC International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operationEA European Co-operation for AccreditationAPLAC Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Co-operationIAF International Accreditation ForumPAC Pacific Accreditation Co-operation

ILAC/IAFInternational

EAAPLAC/PAC ***

Lab./Inspection/Certification

ILAC Accreditation Mark

• Worldwide Acceptance• Laboratory Conforms to ISO/IEC Guide 25• Accreditation Body Conforms to ISO/IEC

Guide 58• Part of world system in which standards are

monitored

AccreditationBodies

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The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is an

international forum similar to ILAC, except that its focus

is on the accreditation of quality management, product

and environmental management certification bodies. Like

ILAC, the aims of IAF are to promote cooperation and

mutual recognition agreement between accreditation

bodies. IAF has already established a multilateral agreement

initially signed in February 1998. It has been proposed

that ILAC and IAF should merge and there has also been

discussion on whether ILAC and IAF should have a

common accreditation mark.

A common accreditation mark does not necessarily mean

that the two marks have to be identical. A common mark

could mean a common logo with words like ILAC or IAF

alongside it as the distinguishing feature or other

distinguishing symbols or words to differentiate between

the different types of conformity assessment.

ILAC is currently proposing to develop a world network

of agreements based on the regional multilateral

agreements. It is likely that after the ILAC multilateral

agreement is established, the development of an ILAC

accreditation mark will follow. Proposals are being made

to incorporate ILAC as a legal entity and once this is done,

ILAC will be able to legally own an accreditation mark.

However, ownership will mean liability to be sued should

anyone be misled by the Mark and consider that ILAC has

not taken reasonable measures to protect the integrity

of the Mark. Presumably, the liability will be borne by the

members of ILAC or signatories of the ILAC MRA. Rules

and conditions will therefore have to be carefully thought

out and perhaps, protection against liability sought.

First, there is the question of legal liability. If laboratories,

accredited by A were to use the accreditation mark of

B, (A's mutual recognition agreement partner), there is

the implication that the laboratory is accredited by B and

the legal responsibility may be transferred from A to B.

Secondly, some accreditation marks carry the country's

insignia or national emblem and there are restrictions

imposed by government regarding its use. Even if two

parties to a mutual recognition agreement were to agree

to allow each other's accredited laboratories to use their

accreditation marks, confusion would arise as there are

currently no clear international rules on such practices

and there are a host of bilateral and multilateral

agreements.

Responsibilities of ILAC for Mark

The numerous bilateral agreements between laboratory

accreditation schemes that have been established in the last

10 -15 years are today progressively being replaced by

multilateral agreements. The Asia Pacific Laboratory

Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) multilateral agreement,

consisting of eleven signatories, was initially signed in

November 1997 and the European Cooperation for

Accreditation (EA) has had a multilateral agreement for

laboratory accreditation for a number of years. Other

regional cooperations such as Southern African Regional

Accreditation Cooperation (SARAC), Interamerican

Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) and National Cooperation

for Laboratory Accreditation (NACLA) are all working

towards the establishment of multilateral agreements.

Responsibilities of ILAC for Mark

• ILAC will own mark• ILAC to incorporate as legal entity• ILAC may be legally liable• Responsibilities to ensure signatories of

MRA meet standards

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avoid confusion, par ticular ly between laboratory

accreditation and system cer tification whereas the

disadvantage is that it may cause overcrowding of the

Mark for cases where different types of conformity

assessment are applicable. If the Mark does not

distinguish between different types of conformity

assessment, it may be necessary to require cer tifi-

cation bodies and suppliers to use it alongside the

cer tification mark as this should have the type ofconformity assessment indicated.

(iv) Should the Mar k be used a longs ide nat iona laccreditat ion marks? I f the nat ional mark oraccreditation body mark is indicated, the routeby which the user is entit led to use the Markwould be obvious. The disadvantage, of course, isthat multiplicity of marks may cause overcrowdingand confusion.

(i) Who will be allowed to use the Mark - MRA signatory

accreditation bodies, laboratories, certification bodies,

suppl ier s cer t i fied by accredited cer t i ficat ion

bodies, assessors?

(ii) On what materials can the Mark be displayed - should

display be restricted to accreditation certificates and

test reports and products or should the Mark be also

allowed on company letterhead, advertisements, name

cards, etc.?

(iii) If a common ILAC IAF MRA accreditation mark is

created, should the Mark contain a distinguishing

feature to d i f ferent iate between laborator y

accreditation, quality system certification accreditation,

product certification accreditation, EMS certification

accreditation, etc.? The advantage of indicating the

type of conformity assessment on the Mark is to

A Common ILAC and IAF Mark?

the global multilateral agreements. It has to be borne in

mind, however, that for an accreditation mark to be

respected, it has to be underpinned by competence and

this will depend on the success of ILAC, IAF and the

regional cooperations in harmonizing accreditation practices

and in assuring the technical competence of accredited

laboratories and certification bodies that come under the

ILAC MRA and IAF MLA network.

Although it is accepted that mutual recognition agreement

on conformity assessments facilitates free trade, the benefits

of MRA are often not fully realized because there is a lack

of understanding by traders and regulatory authorities on

the meaning and significance of such agreements. A global

accreditation mark will be a simple way of symbolising

competence, ISO standard compliance and technical

equivalence and hence will enhance the effectiveness of

A Common ILAC and IAF Mark?

IAF - International forumfor accreditation of certification bodies

Laboratory ISO 9000Certification

EnvironmentalManagement

SystemCertification

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Other issues discussed were the incorporation of ILAC,

the possibility of a merger with IAF, and the establishment

of a permanent full-time ILAC Secretariat.

ILAC is an international co-operation between

accreditation bodies in different economies throughout

the world. Founded in 1977, ILAC operated as an informal

forum until 1996 when 44 members signed a Memorandum

of Understanding (MOU) for more formal co-operation.

This year's annual plenary meeting was held in Rio de

Janeiro on 18 - 20 October 1999. The meeting was

attended by about 70 delegates, most of whom were from

accreditation bodies but there were also representatives

from laboratories and international organizations such as

BIPM/OIML and IAF. Foremost on the agenda was the

establishment of an ILAC mutual recognition arrangement.

The General Assembly at Rio also adopted the following

documents:

•Guidelines for the use of accreditation body logos andfor claims of accreditation status;

• Identifying and correcting abuses of accreditation status;

• ILAC Guidelines for the requirements for the competenceof reference material producers;

• ILAC Guidelines for the requirements for the competenceof providers of proficiency testing schemes.

The ISO/IEC Guide 25 has been revised and has been

submitted to ISO/CASCO members for voting on its

acceptance as the ISO/IEC Standard 17025. The new

standard is expected to be issued in January 2000. ILAC

is drafting two documents; a) an implementation document

which is expected to provide guidance on critical issues

such as traceability, measurement uncertainty, management

review, sub-contracting and opinions and interpretations,

and b) a document describing the difference between

ISO/IEC Guide 25 and ISO/IEC Standard 17025.

Laboratories will be required to the new standard within

two years from the date of publication of the standard.

It has been agreed that ILAC should not duplicate the

effor ts of the regional arrangements in evaluating

accreditation bodies but should focus on harmonizing the

practices of the different regional co-operations.

The evaluation of individual accreditation bodies for entry

into the ILAC MRA would thus be delegated to the

regional co-operations. The two most well-established

regional co-operations - the Asia Pacific Laboratory

Accreditation Co-operation (APLAC) and the European

Co-operation for Accreditation (EA) have already

conducted several joint evaluations - i.e. of HKAS, NATA,

IANZ and SAC-SINGLAS as part of their efforts to identify

differences in operation and to harmonize practices. A

review of the procedures and requirements of APLAC

and EA was also conducted by an ILAC member outside

APLAC and EA. These efforts establish confidence in the

equivalence of APLAC and EA procedures and

requirements and it is expected that members of these

regional MRA would be admitted as signatories to the

ILAC MRA next year. Other regional co-operations such

as the Interamerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC)

and the Southern African Development Community

Accreditation (SADCA) are also working towards

participating in the ILAC MRA.

At the Rio meeting, the following documents supporting

the ILAC MRA were discussed:

• the procedure for evaluating accreditation bodies;

• the procedure for evaluating regional bodies;

• intercomparisons of regional evaluation practices;

• the technical (as opposed to systems) dimension of evaluation;

• the text for the ILAC MRA.

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In addition to Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency,

another five certification bodies have been granted HKCAS

accreditation. They are:

Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd. - LRQA Hong

Kong (HKCAS 002),

SGS Hong Kong Ltd. - ICS Division (HKCAS 003),

BSI Pacific Ltd. - Hong Kong Office (HKCAS 004),

Det Norske Veritas Certification B. V. - Hong Kong Office

(Det Norske Veritas AS) (HKCAS 005) and

Bureau Veritas Quality International Limited BVQI China

- Hong Kong Office (HKCAS 006).

On the invitation of United Nations Industr ial

Development Organization (UNIDO), the International

Accreditation Forum (IAF) 13th Plenary Meeting was held

in September 1999 at the Vienna International Centre

(VIC), UNIDO Headquarters in Austria. Working Group

(WG) meetings were held prior to the Plenary Meeting.

Mr. Tommy Fung represented HKAS in WG.1, WG.4 and

the Plenary Meetings.

Unlike previous meetings in which delegates stayed in the

hotel where meetings were held, delegates were scattered

in different hotels and had to travel to the VIC for the

meetings. While this had caused some inconvenience and

reduced the opportunities for delegates to meet each

other outside meetings, the downside was outweighed by

the excellent facilities at VIC. Each seat in the conference

room was equipped with a microphone and an earphone.

In fact, the acoustic design of the conference room was

so good that earphones were hardly used.

The WG.1 meeting was attended by 53 delegates from

ISO/CASCO (ISO's policy development committee on

conformity assessment), accreditation bodies, certification

bodies associations and industries. Discussion amongst

such a large group would have been very difficult without

the audio aids.

A total of 42 resolutions were approved by the Plenary.

Perhaps the most relevant resolution for our readers is

the Proposed IAF Policy on the Transition to ISO9001:

2000. This proposed document has been forwarded to

IAF members for approval by ballot. The important points

are:

•No accredited certificates shall be issued for ISO 9001:

2000 until the standard is published.

•The 1994 and the new versions will be valid for use in

conformity assessment process in parallel for 3 years.

• Starting from the issue date of ISO 9001: 2000, certifi-

cates issued against ISO 9001/2:1994 will have a

maximum validity of 36 months.

• IAF will issue requirements indicating how certification

bodies are expected to manage the change process.

• ISO/IEC Guides 61 and 62 are not affected by the

changeover.

Their scopes of accreditation

are available at HKAS website at

www.info.gov.hk/id/hkas/.

IAF 13th Plenary Meeting

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Founded in 1878, SGS Group is the world's largest

organization in the field of verification with an international

network throughout 140 countries. Being an affiliated

company of SGS Group, SGS Hong Kong Limited,

International Certification Services (SGS-ICS) has obtained

the accreditation of ISO 9000 certification from the local

accreditation authority - Hong Kong Accreditation Service

(HKAS) under the Hong Kong Cer tification Body

Accreditation Scheme (HKCAS) in early October 1999.

The HKCAS was launched on 2 November 1998. It is a

member of the widely recognized International Accreditation

Forum (IAF). SGS policy is to support local requirements

and continuously build up our credibility and recognition

locally and internationally. Before the HKAS Accreditation,

SGS-ICS has obtained the Approval from Works Bureau

and Housing Authority of the Government of HKSAR for

ISO 9000 cer tification. SGS-ICS was one of the first

Certification Bodies to be granted the HKAS Accreditation

after submitting its application to HKCAS in earlier 1999.

When SGS Hong Kong Limited celebrated its achievement

of obtaining the HKAS accreditation together with 40th

anniversary of SGS Hong Kong Limited in early October,

SGS-ICS has already issued over 1,000 number of ISO

9000 certificates in Hong Kong, Macau and China.

The top management of SGS Hong Kong Limited would

like to express their sincere thanks to the audit team of

HKAS who helped us in our efforts towards continuous

improvement. Last but not the least, with our high quality

personnel, SGS Hong Kong Limited is committed to

dedicate the best service to our clients in the PRC market

including Hong Kong.

It was a big challenge for SGS-ICS to obtain HKAS

Accreditation. Besides having to comply with the stringent

requirements of HKAS , we had to gain the total involvement

and commitment of all our staff and the full support of

the top management and the cer tification committee

member. All these were very important and critical in

paving the way for this accreditation. The assessment by

HKAS auditors was carried out in end of July 1999 and

SGS-ICS was granted accreditation for ISO 9000

certification in early October 1999. This achievement

brings our worldwide accreditation to a total of 26

accreditations in 26 countries including UKAS (UK), RAB

(USA), RvA (Holland) and CNACR (China), etc.

Dr. L. H. Ng, Executive Administrator, HKAS, presenting the Certificate ofAccreditation to Mr. John McHale, Managing Director, SGS Hong Kong Ltd.

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Since the early eighties, a number of laboratories have

been providing non-destructive testing (NDT) for welding

of steel and metal to the shipbuilding, aircraft maintenance,

gas production, electricity generation and construction

industries. As most of these laboratory users are not

familiar with NDT, they have encountered difficulties in

selecting competent laboratories. Without formal

recognition of their competence, laboratories have to run

their business based on their previous established track

records and good reputation. HKAS had responded to

the need for this accreditation service.

The Construction Materials Test Category will be expanded

to include a new testing area on the NDT for welding of

steel and metal early next year. Initially, accreditation

service will be available for ultrasonic, magnetic particle,

dye penetrant and radiographic tests.

HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No. 15 for this testing

area was issued in December in consultation with the

stakeholders. The requirements set out in this

Supplementary Criteria were in line with the international

practice and the European Standard in all respects including

personnel, equipment, calibration, and test methods. A

proficiency testing programme has been organised to

evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of the tests.

Unlike other construction materials testing, very stringent

requirements were necessary for the NDT personnel.

The Approved Signatory for NDT shall hold a Level 3

certificate and the approved operator shall hold a Level

2 certificate issued by a recognised scheme such as the

American Society of Non-destructive Testing (ASNT), the

Personnel Cer tification of NDT (PCN) of the British

Institute of NDT, The Welding Institute (UK), etc.

Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance was the first

international Certification Body to be accredited by HKCAS

on 7th September 1999. The scope of accreditation

includes all eight industry sectors offered by HKCAS.

For Adrian Broadbent, the LRQA Manager for Hong Kong,

the accreditation was significant to LRQA for a number

of reasons.

"The HKCAS accreditation was one of the first accreditation

assessments for LRQA to the new ISO Guide 62 standard.

The previous accreditation assessments by other

accreditation bodies had been against the European

Standard, EN 45012. We were confident that our basic

systems were satisfactory, but the implementation of our

local procedures had not been externally evaluated against

ISO Guide 62. Our assessment was only the second

accreditation by HKCAS, so we were all learning about

some of the fine points of interpreting the Standard. The

co-operative attitude and practical approach of the assessors

improved the value of the assessment by challenging all

our processes and realistically evaluating the evidence.

The approach was welcome and appreciated and lays a

good foundation for the international reputation of HKCAS.

LRQA has always had a policy of seeking local accreditation,

where it is available, to demonstrate our commitment to

local companies. We are able to combine an international

outlook and global experience with local knowledge and

expertise. This obviously benefits our customers, but also,

through the accreditation process, can influence the standard

of certification in Hong Kong. HKCAS has a role to ensure

the credibility and consistency of ISO 9000 certifications

in Hong Kong, and this is achieved through the accreditation

assessments. With wider experience of the accreditation

assessors to evaluate different Certification Body control

systems, the assessments in Hong Kong will tend towards

international best practice. LRQA was pleased to have

been able to contribute to this process."

by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd.

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The Hong Kong

I n s p e c t i o n B o d y

Accreditation Scheme

(HKIAS) wil l star t to

accept applications from

15 December 1999.

Init ia l ly, accreditat ion

ser vice for consumer

product inspection will be

provided. The products

covered include toys and children's products, textiles,

garments, electrical and electronic products, giftware,

medical and health products, furniture, cookware and

tableware and other consumer products. Accredited

inspection bodies may issue inspection repor ts and

certificates bearing the HKIAS accreditation mark according

to the HKIAS regulations.

To lodge an application, the applicant inspection body

should complete the application form, HKIAS 005 and the

assessment questionnaire, HKIAS 007. The completed

forms and all necessary documents should be returned

to the HKIAS Executive together with a cheque for the

application fee. The applicant inspection body should

specify clearly the scope of accreditation sought in HKIAS

007. The forms, accreditation criteria documents and the

fee schedule will be available from the HKAS Executive

on the same date.

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After receiving a complete application, a HKAS accreditation

officer conducts an advisory visit to the applicant inspection

body's office. During the visit, the officer explains the

HKIAS requirements and evaluates whether the inspection

body is ready for the assessment. A team comprising

HKIAS officers and technical assessors will carry out the

assessment. The team members and the timing of the

visits are to be agreed with the inspection body. The

assessment programme includes visiting the office of the

inspection body and witnessing sufficient number of on-

site inspections. Accreditation will be granted when the

inspection body has completed satisfactory corrective

actions against any non-conformity found during the

assessment. Accredited inspection bodies are subject to

half-yearly surveillance visits and two-yearly reassessments.

The general accreditation requirements are stated in two

booklets. HKIAS 002 contains the regulations. They govern

the operation of HKIAS and the duties and benefits of

accredited inspection bodies. HKIAS 003 spells out the

technical and administrative criteria. Specific requirements

for consumer product inspection are given in HKIAS

Supplementary Criteria No. 1. It covers the requirements

for approved inspectors, approved signatories and other

requirements specific to consumer product inspection.

For further information, you are welcome to contact the

HKAS Executive.

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Accreditations have been granted to six laboratories since the last issue of HKAS newsletter. Their scopes of accreditation

are listed at HKAS website at http://www.info.gov.hk/id/hkas/. We offer our congratulations to the following laboratories

on their success in gaining accreditation.

Drainage Services Department - Sewage Services Branch Operation Section Laboratory (HOKLAS 098)

Shenzhen Import and Export Toy Inspection Centre of China (HOKLAS 099)

Hong Kong Police Force - Communications Branch, Calibration Laboratory (HOKLAS 100)

QA & QC Testing Laboratory, Dongguan Gain Charm Toys Co. Ltd. (HOKLAS 101)

CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd. - Generation Central Laboratories (HOKLAS 102)

Facadetech Laboratory Ltd. - Curtain Wall Testing Laboratory (HOKLAS 103)

Three laboratories have voluntarily terminated their accreditations. Tektronix Hong Kong Ltd. (HOKLAS 087) voluntarily

terminated their accreditation in the Test Categories "Calibration Services" and "Electrical and Electronic Products" effective

2 August 1999.

Two laboratories of the Environmental Protection Department voluntarily terminated their accreditations. They are

respectively Optical Microscopy Laboratory (HOKLAS 035) and Air Particulates Laboratory (HOKLAS 063) in the Test

Category of "Environmental Testing" effective 28 May 1999 and 1 June 1999.

After working with HKAS for about three years, Mr. T. C. Cheung, Accreditation Officer, and Mr. C. Y. Chau, Executive

Officer (Accreditation Service) bid farewell to us in October. We wish them every success in their new postings. Their

places have been taken up by Mr. S. F. Yip and Ms. Miranda Yip respectively.

Mr. Yip has more than 18 years of experience in civil engineering design and construction.

He has worked on various aspects of civil engineering including geotechnical investigations,

buildings, study of wind effects on structures and the construction of suspension bridge. He

also has experience in computer analysis for engineering applications.

Mr. Yip joined the civil service in 1996 with the Housing Department,

working on the design of standard domestic block before transfer to

the Civil Engineering Department in summer this year.

Ms. Yip has been working as an Executive Officer for about six years. She has previously

worked with various government departments and her last posting before HKAS was with the

Urban Services Department. She will provide logistic support for HKAS.

We welcome Mr. Yip and Ms. Yip to HKAS.

Mr. Yip

Ms. Yip

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To prepare for the launching of HKIAS, a three-day

inspection body assessor training course was held from

3 to 5 November 1999. This course is the first of its kind

held in Hong Kong. A total of 25 potential assessors and

HKAS officers attended the course. Participants come

from tertiary education institutes, inspection bodies, testing

laboratories, merchandising companies, etc. The trainers

were Mr. Greg Walker and Ms. Jennifer Smith of NATA.

Ms. Smith is the Manager, Inspection, of NATA and has

more than five years of experience in the accreditation

of inspection bodies. All participants agreed that the course

has been very informative and the sharing of experience

amongst the participants was particularly useful.

Samples for the proficiency testing programme on

aggregates and pulverised fuel ash were distributed in

September. Laboratory results have been received and

a report on the programme is being prepared.

The first batch of samples for the proficiency testing

programme on chloride penetration in concrete cylinders

were distributed to the participants in October 1999.

Ms. Smith sharing her experience with the participants

In response to the keen interest shown by accreditation

bodies and laboratories, another toy safety proficiency

testing programme has been organised by HKAS in

collaboration with the Hong Kong Government

Laboratory under the auspices of Asia Pacific Laboratory

Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC). The programme

(APLAC T016) is on the flammability of toys to EN71

Part 2 : 1993. Samples were dispatched in November

to APLAC and EA accreditation bodies for dissemination

to participating laboratories.

Course participants

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The following are some websites which may be of interest to readers.

Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) www.info.gov.hk/id/hkas/

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) www.ilac.org

Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) www.ianz.nz/aplac/

European Cooperation for Accreditation (EA) www.european-accreditation.org

Interamerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) www.iaac.org

European Organisation for Conformity Assessment (EOTC) www.eotc.be

European (EURACHEM) www.vtt.fi/ket/eurachem.htm/

International Accreditation Forum (IAF) www.iaf.nu/

Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) www.apec-pac.org/

Co-operation on International Traceability in Analytical Chemistry (CITAC) www.vtt.fi/ket/citac

If you wish to contribute to the next newsletter or require further information on any of the items in this newsletter,

please contact the HKAS Executive

36/F Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Hong Kong. Tel: 2829 4802 Fax: 2824 1302

Website address: http://www.info.gov.hk/id/hkas/

E-mail address: hkas@id.gcn.gov.hk

The jointHKAS-CSIRO Workshopon ISO Guide toExpression of Uncertaintyin Measurementwill be held from8 to 10 December 1999.